Niner Noise
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2018 NFL Draft: Full Round 1 mock to celebrate New Year’s Day

By Peter Panacy

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Haason Reddick of Temple reacts after being picked #13 overall by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: Haason Reddick of Temple reacts after being picked #13 overall by the Arizona Cardinals during the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 02: Orlando Brown #78 of the Oklahoma Sooners blocks Innis Gaines #6 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the third quarter during Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 02: Orlando Brown #78 of the Oklahoma Sooners blocks Innis Gaines #6 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the third quarter during Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

36. . Offensive Tackle. Oklahoma. Orlando Brown Jr.. 18. player

The Seattle Seahawks are going to need a home-run NFL Draft to avoid falling into the pitfalls of lucrative contracts, aging veterans and players leaving via free agency. As Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald noted, “the Seahawks run the risk of becoming a big salary cap mess if the decisions they make this offseason don’t work out.”

Unfortunately, there are a lot of needs on both sides of the ball. Seattle hasn’t been the same since losing running back Marshawn Lynch to retirement, cornerback Richard Sherman is going to be 30 years old and coming off an Achilles injury.

And there are the soon-to-be-hefty contracts too.

But quarterback Russell Wilson has been playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in recent NFL history, and it would be disastrous if he suffered an injury because of lack of protection.

Recent efforts, such as the trade for offensive tackle Duane Brown, helped a bit. But other pickups, notably Germain Ifedi in 2016, have offset any improvements.

Despite a flurry of needs, Seattle goes back to O-line investments, taking Oklahoma’s Orlando Brown Jr., who is about as close to a plug-and-play tackle there is.